Planned changes to family shelter wait list spark outrage

The city may have gotten its name from St. Francis, but some say a new policy that would make family shelters available only to residents, will have a detrimental impact on those most in need.

Starting in July, homeless families will have to prove they are San Francisco residents before their names can be added to the long waiting list. The city has space for about 60 families in three long-term shelter facilities, but 227 are currently waiting for placement.

“San Francisco taxpayers shouldn’t be footing the bill for families who aren’t in San Francisco,” said Trent Rhorer, the executive director of the Human Services Agency. “We want to prioritize San Franciscans. . . I think it’s an entirely reasonable requirement given that we’re a locally funded program.”

The impending policy change has infuriated at least one prominent advocate for the homeless. Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness, wrote in a letter to Rhohrer that the new requirements would put more children out on the street.

Rhorer, who said Friedenbach has “distorted facts to create buzz,” said it’s not clear how many families on the shelter waiting list are currently outside of San Francisco. About 40 percent of people on the list say they had previously resided somewhere else, he noted.

To prove residency, families could provide proof of employment in the city, an application to the San Francisco CalWORKS Program, or prove their children are enrolled in San Francisco schools. The details of residency requirements, like how recently someone applied for or received benefits from the city, have yet to be worked out, Rhorer said.

In July, a new wait list will replace the current one, but families on the list prior to July 1 won’t have to meet the new criteria. The new policy will also shrink the wait list by preventing people from joining the list who are already in a three-to-six-month shelter.

At Compass Connecting Point, the nonprofit group that manages the waiting list, there is also resistance.

“We are concerned about these changes and how they will limit accessibility for families in real need,” said Program Director Susanna Anderson. “But beyond that, it’s a tough subject at the moment.”

Bevan Dufty, the mayor’s point person on homelessness, said he’s not ready to take a firm position on the plans. Dufty said he understands Rhorer’s concerns and feels that other counties need to step up their family homelessness services, but said some families may have strong ties to the city even if that’s not where they currently reside.

“We know there are low-income families that have been displaced from the city but their family networks and support systems are in the city,” he said. “They have a right to try to return and establish themselves successfully and become independent in San Francisco.”

And while Friedenbach argues that undocumented families will be unwilling to apply for San Francisco benefits for fear of deportation, Rhorer said none of HSA’s programs share information with federal authorities.

“It’s sort of a misnomer that the undocumented shouldn’t apply because we’re going to deport them,” Rhorer said. “In many cases undocumented families aren’t aware that they are eligible for benefits.”

That’s not enough to win support from Supervisor David Campos, who said he’s told Rhorer he’s wary of the new policy.

“I just have a fear that changing the rules will basically put more people out on the street,” Campos said. “There are many undocumented families that may not be able to apply for state assistance.”